"How the Tenth Commandment (that's the one about coveting) became extinct is a tale of how the emotional style of this country mutated within the golden years of the nascent consumer economy, which Susan J. Matt . . . defines as the period between 1890 and 1930. She explains that we couldn't be a nation of consumers until we were given public license to envy."—New York Times

Keeping Up with the JonesesEnvy in American Consumer Society, 1890-1930

Susan J. Matt

IntroductionChapter 1. City Women and the Quest for StatusChapter 2. Envy in the OfficeChapter 3. "The Prizes of Life Lie Away from the Farm"Chapter 4. From "Sturdy Yeoman" to "Hayseed'"Chapter 5. Coming of Age in Consumer SocietyConclusion